Fire-escape



UNITED. STATES PATENT tiraron.

FREDERICK VILLIAM VOIGT, OF HIOKSVILLE, OHIO.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

-SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,245, dated January1, 184.

Application tiled May 19, 1883. (No model.) I

T0 cLZHZ whom't may concern,.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK -W. Voler, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Hick sville, in the county of Defiance and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full,\-clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes; and has for itsobject to enable the occupants of buildings to escape therefrom in theevent of fire. This object is attained by the mechanism illustrated inthe accompanying drawings. forminga part of this specification, inwhichf v Figure l is a sectional View taken on the line x .r of Fig. 2.Fig. 2 isa plan.

The letter A indicates a box having a cover, F F, hinged at t, also, agallows-frame, B, C, attached to the rear of the box, and rolls W IV inthe interior. The cover F, when open, is intended to restupon thewindow-sill of the building, in which it may be located. A frame, G, ishinged to the cover F by hinges t', and when placed in an elevatedposition, as shown in Fig. 1, it is held by the brace H, which is hingedto the cover F by hinges i. A'piece, E, extends across from one uprightto the other ofthe galloWs-frame B C, and serves as an additionalsupport to the cover F when open.` The boxA'is divided into three parts,A Al A, by transverse partitions a a. In part A is located a drum, l),containing a volute spring secured to the shaft L, so as to cause it torevolve upon -its axis, for a purpose hereinafter described. In thecentral chamber of the box A are rolls W W, having shafts L L L L, whichrevolve in bea-rings in the partitions a a. In each of these rolls thereare three recesses, Y Y Y, and Z, upon which are wound the ropes R P inopposite directions. Thus, when the ropes R are unwound, the rope P isrewound. The ends of the ropes R are securely fastened to tWo rings, S,then passed through the apertures r of the frame G, thence through theeyebolts m, then over the top of roller Y Y", thence under the roller Z,to which l5o they are secured.4 From the rings S extend ropes It R,which are securely attached to the belt T, and then are carried down (asropes` It RW) to two rings, S, to which they are securely fastened. Therope P has secured to its outer end a button, P. It is then Wound upon areel, P', or formed into a coil, so that it may readily be lowered tothe ground, and should be of sufficient length to permit its beingcarried to the other side of the street or to adjacent buildings. Theupper end of the rope P is carried through a ring, T', attached to thebelt T, thence through an aperture, h, in the frame G, then through hookC and an eyebolt, m, thence under the roll Y', and over the ltop of rollZ, to which it is secured in any suitable manner, the roll Z performingthe part of a windlass.

The rope P is intended as a guide-rope, and is to be thrown by theperson in the burning building to any one in the street below, who l isto carry the end P" in any direction to prevent the person occupying theescape from being carried into the flames below, the ring T serving thepurpose to direct the course of descent. The rings S are for theintroduction of the arms,'the rings S for the legs, and the belt T is tobe buckled around the body by the buckle t, while the hands may graspthe rope P and aid in lowering the occupant. The volute spring in thecase or drum D acts as a counterpoise tothe weight of the occupant ofthe escape, as well as to draw the escape back again, to be used byothers in the building. As the action of the ropes R in descending is towind the spring, it is obvious that the greater the height of thebuilding the greater the resistance to the descending body the nearer itreaches the ground, and this I consider a very important feature of myinvention.

The rolls WW are covered with sand-paper where their two surfaces comeinto contact.l

`A shield may be made of leather, and be buckled to the body of theoccupant of the fireescape as additional protection to the person fromthe flames or any projecting portions of 9 thebuilding.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by LettersPatent, and to claim, 1s-

l. In a reescape, the combination of the roo box A. harino rolls udn)ted io earrv :1nd lowered bv windlass Z, as described and ropes R R andl), with rings S S, belt T, and for the purposes set i'olth. Io ring f,substantially as described, and for the In testimony whereot l affix mysignature in purposes set forth. 'presence of two Witnesses.

2. In :L ireesonpe,the combinniion of box A, FREDERICK WILLIAM VOIGT.

)L B. Evimrs'r, A. A. HUBER.

gailows-frmne B C, cover F. frame G, and bruco 'ifnesses: ring i, andgniderope l), adapted to be raised

